Vancouver

On Five Minute Majors, Washing Dishes and Taking a Moment to Validate the Ruling Class

A Candidate For Van City Council Is Holding A Rally For A “Mansion Tax” Proposal. “How do you define rich?” Well, I guess rich is demanding that the poor define the wealthy. Rich is also demanding that the working class validate the ruling class. “This is just a successful business man who already pays his taxes”. Actually, he is someone who has benefited from an apparatus of tax cuts, incentives and wealth appreciation designed to concentrate money in the hands of fewer and fewer people.

“I appreciate that we need to find money… but do you think that this idea of saying, this narrative of, ‘tax the rich’ kind of contributes to the class divide – makes people more frustrated, pointing fingers – because it seems like, people, you’re blaming people who have worked hard for a paycheque versus the government who hasn’t come up with the money to pay for this housing”.

Wow. What a complete mess. First, no — the fact that there is a class divide contributes to the fact that there is a class divide, not the people trying to shrink that divide. Second, it’s a tired and worn out myth that rich people work harder than poor people. And third, that is what she is proposing! That the government come up with the money to pay for this housing! ‘The government needs to come up with the money!’

Maybe if we are struggling so hard to find money it’s time to admit that capitalism is the real problem. “You’re using Chip Wilson as a pawn in your game…” No, Chip Wilson is using us as pawns. Jean Swanson calmly counters this confused populist ideology, but can it get her elected? Yes.

Here it is – again – the notion that the government doing its job is “petty politics” — Opinion: Vancouver’s petty politics could hinder its Amazon headquarters bid. This is why I hate the word NIMBY. It was originally used to denote people in places like Dunbar who would wet themselves at the prospect of social housing near their own homes. Now it extends to politicians being wary of letting a small business-killing mega-corporation into our town.

Not insulting at all: Former dish pigs share lessons from the pit. We’re not called “dish pigs*”. We don’t work in a pit. We are stewards or porters. Sometimes partners. And we don’t all want to be cooks one day. And we didn’t all start at the bottom. If you are in my restaurant you would know that. I do, however, appreciate that the sentiment might have been summarized by this quote: “Treat your dishwashers fairly. It’s a dirty job that almost nobody wants to do. If you respect your dishwashers, your dishes will be clean.” Instead the piece comes across as smug at best and classist at worst. By perpetuating the stereotype that we are grunts with no goals you are doing a disservice to the industry and those who work in it. (* they changed the headline, but it was still printed)

Why couldn’t they have asked a current dishwasher for their Best of Vancouver issue? Or better yet, worked an actual shift like this WaPo reporter did?

Because war is just a disagreement on what to eat and not the consequences of huge geo-political forces at work as a result of the long march of ideology and systemic political, social, and economic inequalities between groups.